The Gambler

"For $10,000 they break your arms. For $20,000 they break your legs. Axel Freed owes $44,000."

1974 1h 52m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 138

DramaCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

New York City English professor Axel Freed outwardly seems like an upstanding citizen. But privately Freed is in the clutches of a severe gambling addiction that threatens to destroy him.

“For $10,000 they break your arms. For $20,000 they break your legs. Axel Freed owes $44,000.”

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Cast

James Caan
Axel
Paul Sorvino
Hips
Lauren Hutton
Billie
Morris Carnovsky
A. R. Lowenthal
Jacqueline Brookes
Naomi
Burt Young
Carmine
Carmine Caridi
Jimmy
Carl W. Crudup
Spencer

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Karel Reisz
Writers: James Toback
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

52 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Karel Reisz, shot by Victor J. Kemper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jerry Fielding. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Roger Spottiswoode shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

James Caan and Paul Sorvino and Lauren Hutton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

MONEY

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "For $10,000 they break your arms. For $20,000 they break your legs. Axel Freed owes $44,000.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0071532 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Karel Reisz directs. Victor J. Kemper behind the camera. Jerry Fielding scores. Roger Spottiswoode cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

152 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Karel Reisz, shot by Victor J. Kemper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Jerry Fielding. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Roger Spottiswoode shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5James Caan and Paul Sorvino and Lauren Hutton carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "For $10,000 they break your arms. For $20,000 they break your legs. Axel Freed owes $44,000.".
7IMDB entry: tt0071532 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 8 themes, including "new york city", "gambling", "professor", "money".

The technical file

Cinematography: Victor J. Kemper
Original score: Jerry Fielding
Editing: Roger Spottiswoode
Production design: Philip Rosenberg
Costume design: Albert Wolsky
Makeup / hair: William A. Farley
Runtime: 112 min · 1h 52m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Gambler (1974)

Also by

Karel Reisz

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Kris_122019-01-30
This is a very old movie, but it is really interesting. If you like the classic movie about gambling, then you should watch this movie. The film perfectly conveys exactly how the player thinks, how <a href="http://www.atimetokillonbroadway.com/">Canadian slot machines</a> works, what feel the player when he lost or win. I recommend to watch this movie, despite the low quality.

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